


New Beginnings

by yungidreamer



Series: Yungi Soulmates [13]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Families of Choice, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26492911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yungidreamer/pseuds/yungidreamer
Summary: Mingi and Yunho go to her house for New Years to have a little time with her over the holidays. Friendly competition and and affection mark the day with a mix of old and new traditions.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Reader, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Song Mingi/Reader
Series: Yungi Soulmates [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898728
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	New Beginnings

“Welcome, boys,” her mother said, greeting them at the door when they arrived. “I’m so glad to have you here.”

“Thanks for letting us come over,” Mingi smiled at her mother as she pulled him into a hug as he stepped inside. She then did the same to Yunho as he stepped inside behind him.

“You both look wonderful,” Her mother beamed at them. “Have you gotten bigger since Thanksgiving?”

“They probably have,” She replied to her mother from her seat on the couch near the Christmas tree. “They eat enough at home they have to still be growing or else they would be three hundred pounds.”

“That’s how it is with boys,” her mother laughed. “Just make sure they have enough to eat and they will sprout like weeds.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m getting chubby,” Mingi sighed, poking a finger at his imagined belly.

“Mmm, sure honey,” she gave him a skeptical look from her seat. 

“No, look,” he protested, coming to sit himself down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he put it on his stomach, just below the belly button. “See?” He moved her hand so she could feel the jiggle he was sure he was developing there.

“I feel skin,” she blinked at him. “And muscle.”

“No one believes me,” Mingi sighed and made a pouty face. 

“Well, you look good chubby,” San placated from where he was stretched out in the big armchair across the room.

“Thank you!” Mingi said with a forceful gratitude. “I hate being skinny.”

“Okay, I don’t think you are getting a pooch or something,” she said from beside him, moving her hand from his stomach to cover one of his own. “But you are getting cuter as you get older.”

“Really?” Mingi looked at her hopefully. She nodded at him and gave a chuckle.

“What about me?” Yunho asked, sitting at her feet and putting his open hands under his chin to frame and present his face to her.

“You too,” she agreed. “You both are getting ever cuter and more handsome, right mom?”

“It’s true,” her mother agreed, amused by the strange dynamic her daughter had with the boys in her life. Again she was forced to wonder why she had never picked one as a boyfriend. Now it wasn’t just those two boys, but San as well. She sighed and shook her head. Maybe she just didn’t understand kids these days.

“Okay, who is ready to play a game?” Her father asked as he came into the room. “We have hours and this is the only time of year I have a captive audience.”

“Sure I’m down,” she agreed, taking her hand off of Mingi. Yunho, San, Mingi, and her mother all agreed as well. Her father was well pleased to have a full set of people to play with. They agreed to start with a friendly game of Trivial Pursuit, a favorite game of both father and daughter.

“You all might regret agreeing to this game,” her mother warned the boys as they all picked their empty circular pie game piece.

“Why?” San asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“Those two get competitive,” her mother answered as she indicated her two family members with some decidedly enthusiastic pointing.

“I’m only like that with him,” she said defensively. “Someone has to stand up to him.”

“Ha, you only beat me last year because I was having an off day,” her father scoffed and sent her a challenging look.

“I guess we’ll have to see, won’t we?” She raised a challenging eyebrow to him. The game started with San rolling the highest and winning the chance to be the first player in the game. He successfully answered one question, but failed the second, neither of which were yet in a space where he could earn a wedge. Her father went next and missed his first question, something that made him grumble quietly as the next few people went.

Finally it was her turn. She rolled and landed on a spot for Sports and leisure, leaving Yunho to ask her the question. He pulled the card out, hiding the back with his large hand as he found the question corresponding to the color and subject.

“What goo—“ was all he got out before she sat up straight and interrupted to answer.

“Silly Putty.” She said eagerly.

Yunho stopped, looked at her, then turned the card in his hand, careful to keep the answer hidden. “That...that is correct. How did...just how?”

“No, no way,” Her dad protested. “You cheated. You must have shown her the answer.”

“How? When?” She pointed out with a confident sass.

“You can’t...HE GOT OUT TWO WORDS!?!” He sputtered.

“And I got the right answer,” she crossed her arms over her chest. “So then I get to roll again.”

“You...you…” her father gestured at the board a couple of times before he wilted and gave up his protests. “Just roll again.”

“Thank you, I will,” she jutted out her chin and picked up the die to throw it again. On her second roll she landed on a spot with the possibility of getting a wedge with a correct answer. She did, much to her father’s grumbling, being the first of the players to get a wedge, at least partially due to luck. With the correct answer she had another roll and lucked into a roll again spot, then to another spot where she could win a wedge. Her father insisted on being the one to ask her the question

“How many states border the Gulf of Mexico?” He asked, being very careful to hide the back of the card from her.

“Well Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas...so five,” she reasoned out.

“Correct,” Her father pursed his lips. “That was too easy for a wedge.” He grumped even as he pulled a blue one out for her to put in. She rolled again and landed on a square for arts and literature.

“This French artist became known for his lithographic posters.” Her father read out and Yunho felt a surge of pride when he heard the question. He knew she knew the answer to that, heck, he knew the answer to that because of her.

“Seurat,” she answered after a pause and a look that Yunho couldn’t quite read. 

“Ha, no, Toulouse-Lautrec,” Her father gave a satisfied smile and encouraged San to pick up the die and take his turn. Yunho looked down at her, trying to read her expression again.

“Can you help me get a drink?” He asked her, giving her a little elbow and a look. She nodded and stood up, following him the short distance to the kitchen. He let her pull a cup from the cabinet, which put her out of sight of everyone in the living room, before he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I know you knew the answer to that question.”

“It’s no fun if the game ends too fast,” she shrugged and answered back.

“How long has it been since this game was a challenge for you?” Yunho asked, gently caressing her arm.

“A couple of years,” she admitted, looking up at him with a smile. “But it’s still fun to play.”

“Just...don’t let him win to be nice,” he told her gently. “I think he’ll be proud of you really.”

“I know, but no one will play with you if you win in like two turns,” she pointed out.

“It’s so hot that you’re smart,” he groaned.

“Mmmm, sexy big brain,” she joked back before heading to the fridge to pull out the soda to pour some for him.

“Hell yeah,” he whispered from behind her, sneaking a squeeze of her butt just before they would enter the view of everyone else. They returned to the game as her mother took her turn. Rounds passed and it was, as predicted, mostly a battle between father and daughter, with everyone else doing their best but really thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the battle between the two of them. It took, or perhaps she let it last, an hour and a half before she landed in the center spot again and answered a final question of her choice to win the game. Her father sighed and extended a hand of congratulations to her. He had managed to gather five of six wedges, leaving him in second place with San and Mingi one behind him. Yunho and her mother had three each and were plenty pleased with the results, having had fun both playing and watching everyone else play the game.

With hours to kill still, her father suggested a game of monopoly which was met with a chorus of groans and flat out  _ no _ from her mother. He protested, saying it would be fun and they had plenty of time before the New Years Extravaganza show even started. He finally settled for playing a game of backgammon with his daughter, which was really what he wanted most. He would never have asked her to stay at home or to go somewhere closer, but he missed having her around. Playing games with the whole family was great, her friends were wonderful, but he missed spending time with her.

While they played, everyone else hung out, socialized, and showed off the things they had gotten for Christmas. Jacob showed San and Mingi his new games and they played a couple of rounds with him on the little portable player. San and Mingi mostly had fun sabotaging each other as they went around the little race track, primarily focusing on making sure the other person didn’t finish ahead of them.

Dinner was a mix of the last of the leftovers along with a mix of anything quick and easy people wanted to make for themselves. Mingi made himself a bowl of ramen and shared it with her as she played a second game of backgammon with her father. Mingi had to admit, not knowing the rules of the game, it mostly seemed like an incomprehensible jumble of rolling and moving things around in strange ways. Mingi sat and watched, feeding her an occasional slurp of noodles.

By the time the second game ended the New Year’s Extravaganza was beginning on TV and her mother had switched it on in the background. Everyone settled in to relax and watch the series of performers and over excited hosts as they talked with various famous people who came and went on the Times Square stage. They recognized some of the people, but not all. It didn’t really matter though, they were there for the spectacle of the crowds all stuffed in together cheering whenever the camera panned their way. Their collective breaths clung in the still, cold air as they breathed, chatted, and shouted excitedly, waiting for midnight.

At home they watched all the buzz of the excitement in a lazy comfort. Having finished the last game with her father, she was stretched out on the couch, her feet resting on San’s lap with her boys sitting near her on the floor, leaning against the couch. Her brother was still glued to his new game and handheld player, his face a mask of concentration as he played. Her parents were seated together in the armchair watching the program and talking quietly.

When it was quarter to midnight her mother got out a couple of bottles of sparkling juice and champagne flutes for everyone so they could all toast and ring in the New Year. Everyone was given a glass and poured a little of the champagne stand in and the program on the TV was turned up to listen to the last few hyped minutes of the program.

“Oh I almost forgot!” Her mother exclaimed suddenly.

“Mom, you’re not getting the herring,” her daughter cringed.

“It’s good luck,” her mother responded as she passed her on the way into the kitchen.

“Awww mom,” Jacob shook his head and made a face.

“It’s just a bite,” her mother scolded, coming back with the jar of pickled herring and a small fork. “And if it brings you good luck then it’s worth it isn’t it?”

“It’s a superstition, mom,” she pointed out. “There is no evidence for, like, any of that.”

“And it does you no harm to have a bite...just in case,” her mother wagged her finger at her. Her daughter rolled her eyes and huffed, but let it go.

Finally the time came and everyone counted down to midnight. On the TV, the people on the stage shouted the countdown loudly as the numbers flashed on some of the huge screens across Time Square and the large ball flashed brightly in various patterns as it prepared to drop. Midnight hit, the ball fell, and cheers rose both from the crowd in and inside the warm living room. Everyone toasted each other and took a sip as the strains of  _ Auld Lang Syne _ played on the television. The camera pulled back and eventually faded to a shot of the city from the water, showing the colorful burst of fireworks happening against the iconic New York City skyline.

Her mother and father gave each other a quick kiss and her brother sipped his drink and made a little _oh brother_ face. Mingi’s eyes flashed to Yunho and then to their girl. Yunho flashed him a small, understanding smile back, communicating _I know, me too._ He wanted to kiss them, to celebrate that moment with them like any other couple could. But they couldn’t, not here, not with her parents.

Behind them San caught the look they shared, understanding the emotions behind it. An idea struck him, it was weird, it might not go over well, but hell, it was worth a try. San sat up straight, cleared his throat and gave Mingi’s shoulder a tap. Sitting in front of him on the floor, Mingi turned to look at San with a questioning expression on his face. San took his cheeks between his hands and angled his head slightly before pressing a close-lipped kiss to him.

To say that Mingi was surprised was perhaps an understatement. Mingi froze under the kiss, not quite sure how he was supposed to react. San pulled back then scooted closer to her on the couch, pulling her into a close mouthed kiss as well. When he had left her well and truly surprised, he moved on to Yunho. When he pulled back, he paused near Yunho’s ear and whispered. “Now you can kiss them and all they are going to remember is that I started this.”

A surprised expression spread across Yunho’s face as he realized what exactly San had just managed to do. He had given them cover for a New Year’s kiss, even though it was probably at the expense of a good amount of his dignity, but he still did it. Yunho turned where he sat and pulled her into a soft and innocent kiss, his thumb caressing her cheek for a moment as he did. He pulled back before he wanted to, but knowing that he couldn’t take too much license. He leaned over to Mingi and shared a kiss with him as well. Mingi crawled over to get his kiss in with their girl, sneaking in a squeeze to her hand as he brushed his lips over hers.

“You know,” her father observed, clearing his throat as he scratched the back of his neck. “Friendship has really changed since I was a kid.”

“No, they’re all just weird,” Jacob said, blinking at them for a couple more seconds before he went back to his game.

By quarter to one the boys were bid good night and sent home with hugs and warm wishes. She promised to come over in the next couple of days and see Yunho and his mother. It had been too long since she had been able to see her, she admitted. Yunho and Mingi were sad to go and wanted more than anything a moment alone with her, but it was not to be.

In her house everyone shuffled off to bed after brushing their teeth and washing up. Work would start in another day or two for her parents and it was only a week until they all went back to school. She couldn’t wait. She ended up in the bathroom with San, brushing her teeth at the same time as they got ready to bed.

“So, I guess I owe you something,” she said quietly after spitting.

“Nah,” San told her after rinsing his mouth out. “What is a big brother for except helping you outwit the parents for a good cause?”

“You… are a sneaky bastard and I am going to remember this,” she laughed. “I look forward to you using my IOU for a visit.”

“Yeah?” San asked, pulling her into a hug.

“Yeah,” she nodded her head where it rested against his chest. “Best big brother, ever.”

“So you’re gonna keep me?” He teased, leaning his head on top of hers.

“Looks like,” she laughed. “Happy New Year and welcome to the family, like for real.”

“Thank you, Chipmunk,” he nuzzled into her hair, happy to have had such a wonderful place and wonderful people to start fresh with.


End file.
